Alice And The Cheshire Cat
by Pixiedustmagic
Summary: Alice and Cheshire. Artemis and Jade. They were sisters, they protected eachother. They kept eachother happy even when they're lives were collapsing around them. Three shot.
1. Chapter 1

**So, who's up for a sad and sweet Artemis and Jade sister fic?**

**Artemis POV**

I sat on the fire escape outside our apartment, hardly noticing the rain drenching me, and making my hair lie flat. I was thinking back to about seven years ago. My father had pulled me and Jade out of the HIVE school, and forced us to break all contact with everyone there. Mom was in prison, so he was free to train us as harshly and brutally as he wanted.

He had made us do dumb tests, such as scaling this very fire escape to find a bomb, and defuse it before it blows. Making us chain eachother to chairs and find a way out. Having us spar with eachother until we collapsed with exhaustion.

Not your typical childhood memories.

Jade and I fought back for a while. We refused to to the tasks. But Sportsmaster didn't take no for an answer. After a while, we learned to just go along with what he said, and try to tell ourselves we would never use what we learned. We wouldn't become what he was. A villain.

Jade protected me. After mom was taken to prison, she was the only one who ever cared about me and gave me affection. She would try to brighten up my childhood as much as she could. Take me for ice cream, or to the park. Those few hours outside the house with Jade, were the happiest part of my days.

One of our favourite past times, was reading our favourite story. Alice in Wonderland. We pinned up a poster of it on our wall, and debated about who would be which character. We both agreed that Jade would make a perfect Cheshire cat. Cunning, swift, easily moving into the shadows. Jade said I would make a great Alice. I'm not sure I agreed with that. I didn't see the resemblance much, except for the fact that we were both fair haired. But for some reason, Jade thought I was exactly like Alice in both looks, and personality. So I was given the nickname, Alice.

Living with dad was not pleasant, but having Jade with me made it bearable. I still had a little hope that we could be a family, as long as Jade was there. My childhood was almost taken away, but Jade fought to give it back. So I was content.

Then she left. Snuck away in the middle of the night.

_I'll disappear._ She had said. _Just like the Cheshire cat. _Yes Jade, you were able to disappear. Away into the night, slipping into the shadows like you were never there.


	2. Chapter 2

**I thought it would be a one shot, but I decided to make it into a three shot.**

**Jade POV**

I watched from a ledge, as my sister sat there in the rain, a contemplating look in her eye. What was she thinking about? How was she holding up? How was my little Alice?

I was tempted to reach out, and speak to her. I wanted to talk to her, to ask her how mom was. I knew I shouldn't. After all, we were supposed to be enemies now. Two people on the opposite sides of a battlefield. The thing was though, I didn't want to fight with Alice. I really didn't.

After mom had been taken to prison, Artemis had been the only innocent thing in the horrible world that had become my life. Dad almost ruined her childhood. Let her mom go to jail, training her like a soldier until she dropped. I hated him for it. It was thing to hurt me, but to hurt a little seven year old? That was just cruel.

I tried to make her feel happy. I took her for treats and games. We talked about Alice and Wonderland, how she was Alice and I was Cheshire. It worked for a while. She seemed happy. I thought I could stay, to protect her. That changed one night. Dad had one of hid criminal friends over. I heard them talking in the kitchen.

"_Yeah." dad was saying. "Training them pretty well."_

"_Pretty hard you mean." his friend said. "I don't think it's right to train a seven year old so vigorously."_

"_Oh, Artemis?" dad asked. "She's a tough kid. She'll hold up. In fact, I think I can train her to be my apprentice some day. Jade too. Then we'll be ready for the League of Shadows."_

_I had pressed up against the wall, my heart beating. He wanted to take little Alice to the League of Shadows? I heard about them. I couldn't let that happen. _

So I had stolen away. I was going to destroy the League of Shadows, before they got to Alice. Big job for a fifteen year old, I know. But I really believed I could do it. Somehow, I ended up working for them instead of destroying them. I took the name Cheshire, after Artemis and I's game. I ended up working for my father. The thought gave me a bitter taste in my mouth.

Artemis sensed me there. "Jade." she said softly.

"Hello Alice." I answered. She kept her back to me. I had the feeling she didn't want me to see her cry.

"What are doing here?" she asked.

"Can't I check in on my little sister?" I said. But my heart really wasn't in the teasing. "I'm sorry, Alice."

There was a pause. "I left you alone." I continued. "And I will never forgive myself for that. I missed you, and I am really sorry.

Alice turned around and hugged me. I was caught off guard for a minute, but then hugged her back.

"It's okay." she whispered. "After all, we are Alice and Cheshire. They go together."


	3. Appendix

**Just thought I'd add something you might think is interesting. What are those called again? Oh yeah! An appendix! So this is an appendix and I shall label it as such!**

**So this is where Jade left Artemis as a child. What actually happened will be written like **this, **Jade's thoughts will be like this, and Artemis's thought will be like **_this. _

**Alright, here we go!**

"Please, please don't go." Artemis whimpered. **Oh, the poor kid. **_She can't leave me. She just can't._

"Sorry sis, mom's not getting out of prison anytime soon, and I refuse to live here with just dad." **That's only partly true. Maybe someday she'll know I left to protect her. **_Only dad? I thought she was happy here with me._

"Dad, and you, and me." Artemis pleaded. **Oh Alice. You and me, that's the only family we have. And now I'm taking even that away from you. I'm sorry. **_ We have a family here. It may not be perfect, or even good, but it's a family. She just can't leave that!_

"Toothbrush. Duh. Knew I was forgetting something." **I do need my toothbrush, but the real reason I'm leaving the room is because I can't stand to see her cry. Also, I do need proper dental hygiene... **_Is she seriously worried about leaving her toothbrush? She's leaving me, and she doesn't seem that concerned._

"Dad will come after you." Artemis pointed out quietly. **Of course he will. But not because he's worried abut his daughter. Because he's worried about his future apprentice. **_Maybe dad will catch her and bring her back. But I know Jade. She'll just try to leave again._

"Let him." Jade said, smirking as she pulled on her hat. "I'll just disappear, like the Cheshire cat." **She knows I can. She knows that I can go, and she will never see me again. **_I know she can. But I wish she couldn't._

"You should get out too." Jade added. "I'd let you come, but you'd slow me down." **Plus I'm going somewhere that just isn't safe for my Alice. **_I can't get out. Not without Jade._

"Someone has to be here when mom gets out." Artemis said sadly. ** Oh Alice. That won't be for a long time. **_We can be a family again when mom comes home. Except how can we be a family without Jade?_

"Haven't you learned anything?" Jade asked. "In this family, it's every girl for herself." **And I'm sorry it has to be that way. **_That's not true. That's not how family's work. Well, maybe it's how this one does. _

Jade walked out the door, and quietly snuck out of the house, bag in tow. She looked back up at the window, where Artemis was looking at her sister disappear.

**Goodbye Alice. Stay safe.**

_Goodbye Cheshire. Stay safe. _


End file.
